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Western Sahara
Background :
Morocco virtually annexed the northern two-thirds of Western Sahara (formerly Spanish Sahara) in 1976, and claimed the rest of the territory in 1979, following Mauritania's withdrawal. A guerrilla war with the Polisario Front contesting Rabat's sovereignty ended in a 1991 UN-brokered cease-fire; a UN-organized referendum on the territory's final status has been repeatedly postponed. In April 2007, UN-sponsored talks between representatives from the Government of Morocco and the Polisario Front to negotiate the status of Western Sahara, which stalled in April 2008, resumed in August 2009. Rabat has put forward an autonomy proposal for the territory, which would allow for some local administration while maintaining Moroccan sovereignty. The Polisario, with Algeria's support, demands a popular referendum that includes the option of independence.
Location :
Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Mauritania and Morocco
Geographic Coordinates Center :
24 30 N, 13 00 W (Latitude, Longtitude)
Geographic Coordinates Rectangle :
| West | -17.10 |
| North | 27.67 |
| East | -8.67 |
| South | 20.77 |
Map references :
Africa
Area :
| total | 266 000 | square km |
| land | 266 000 | square km |
| water | 0 | square km |
Land boundaries :
| total | 2 046 | km |
| Algeria (dz) | 42 | km |
| Mauritania (mr) | 1 561 | km |
| Morocco (ma) | 443 | km |
Coastline :
1110.00 km
Climate :
hot, dry desert; rain is rare; cold offshore air currents produce fog and heavy dew
Terrain :
mostly low, flat desert with large areas of rocky or sandy surfaces rising to small mountains in south and northeast
Elevation extremes :
| lowest point | 55 | metres |
| highest point | 805 | metres |
Natural resources :
| iron ore | phosphates |
Land use :
| arable land | 0.02 | % |
| permanent crops | 0.00 | % |
| other | 99.98 | % |
Natural hazards :
| harmattan haze |
Population :
405 210
Indicators :
| Growth rate | 2.83 | % |
| Birth rate | 39.54 | births/1,000 population |
| Death rate | 11.49 | deaths/1,000 population |
Age structure :
| 0-14 years | 44.90 | % |
| 15-64 years | 52.80 | % |
| 65 years and over | 2.30 | % |
Median age :
| total | 17.30 | years |
| male | 16.80 | years |
| female | 17.80 | years |
Sex ratio :
| at birth | 1.04 | male(s)/female |
| under 15 years | 1.03 | male(s)/female |
| 15-64 years | 0.97 | male(s)/female |
| 65 years and over | 0.73 | male(s)/female |
| total population | 0.99 | male(s)/female |
Health :
| Infant mortality rate | 69.66 | deaths/1,000 live births |
| Life expectancy at birth - total population | 54.32 | years |
| Life expectancy at birth - male | 52.00 | years |
| Life expectancy at birth - female | 56.73 | years |
Languages :
| Arabic | |
| Moroccan Arabic |
Country name :
| conventional short form | Western Sahara |
| former | Rio de Oro, Saguia el Hamra, Spanish Sahara |
Country Codes :
| ISO 3166 | EH |
| ISO Numeric | 732 |
| ISO3 | ESH |
| FIPS | WI |
| ccTLD | eh |
| English | Western Sahara |
GDP - Gross Domestic product :
| PPP - Purchasing Power Parity | 900 000 000 | $ |
| PPP - per capita | 2 500 | $ |
GDP Composition by sector :
| services | 40.00 | % |
Labor force - by occupation :
| agriculture | 50.00 | % |
| services | 50.00 | % |
Agriculture - products :
| camels | fish |
| fruits | goats |
| sheep | vegetables |
Industries :
| handicrafts | phosphate mining |
Energy :
| Electricity Production | 90 000 000 | kWh |
| Electricity Consumption | 83 700 000 | kWh |
| Oil Consumption | 2 000 | bbl/day |
| Oil Imports | 1 702 | bbl/day |
Currency-code :
MAD
Currency-name :
Moroccan dirham
Communications :
| Internet Country code (ccTLD) | eh |
Transportation :
| Airports with paved runways | 3 |
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